Pokemon Luce: Lukas' Story
by Xander Floyd
Summary: When a nefarious syndicate returns in the Unova region, it's up to a lone Trainer from Aspertia City and his Pokemon to stop them... But could their worst enemy be one of their own? Lots of OCs, involves various Pokemon from all generations, based on the Unova region of Black/White 2. Note: Pokemon is the property of Nintendo; I do not claim ownership.
1. Vs Machop

Hey, folks, Xander here. I'm taking a temporary respite from The Xaben Chronicles to do some other projects, this being one of them. Basically, it's told not from the view of a person, but a Pokémon, who will be introduced soon. I hope you enjoy this take on the newest entry in the Pokémon series! For those curious, I will be returning to Kris and Cyra in the near future and will be releasing new stories as I go.

* * *

Pokémon Luce: Lukas' Story

Chapter One: Vs. Machop

Outskirts of Aspertia City, 12:12 AM

_Aspertia City was usually a quiet, out-of-the-way city that didn't get much traffic, whether in humans or Pokémon. The most anyone ever saw of Pokémon was the occasional thieving Purrloin and the rare pack of Patrat._

_However, unbeknownst to the slumbering city, a sinister force was gathering in the nearby mountains. Nestled in a canyon between peaks was an unassuming slate building. It wouldn't have been suspicious had it not been for the palisade and guard Growlithe patrolling around with Trainers dressed in white armor and helmets. Inside the large building were true horrors._

_The building had only one room; in it, massive arrays of machines lined the walls, focusing swarms of particle beams into a central point, with a cadre of scientists monitoring the power levels. At the center was a simple object that, though it was so, had dire implications._

_A Pokémon egg._

_Standing calmly in front of a monitor was the leader of the operation. He wore a white lab coat like the rest and had his blonde hair slicked back. His distinguishing feature was his blue hair halo, which curved around the back of his head from his left-hand side. Sweat beaded down his forehead as he watched the power level, clenching his fists each time it dropped._

_Is this truly the way to bring out a Pokémon's true power? He pondered to himself for the tenth time since starting the experiment. His sponsor, a man named Ardos, had convinced him that imbuing his syndicate's formula into a Pokémon egg would bring out its true power, and for a while he believed it._

_Colress' instincts were kicking in, though. The energy being shot into the egg felt empowering, yes, but… it also felt wrong. Almost evil._

"_Is it finished, Colress?" Ardos suddenly said from behind him, surprising him. Ardos was a young man, though not as young as Colress, sporting teal hair at neck-length and sunglass despite the dim lighting. He wore a simple black rode with two blue stripes running down the sides and stood with a poise that said, touch me and I'll tear your head off._

"_Almost, Ardos," the scientist replied. "It'll take a few more minutes, but…" _

_His voice trailed off. He had noticed an anomaly in the power level that said that the power level was rising rapidly. "What is that all about!?"_

"_It's normal," Ardos replied calmly._

"_It's definitely not normal, Ardos! That kind of power could cripple the Pokémon!"_

"_In your view." The blue-haired man shrugged. "Shadow Pokémon usually get like this, but they get used to it."_

_Shadow Pokémon?! Colress thought in shock. He had heard about them from a colleague in Orre; they were corrupted Pokémon that were essentially living weapons. This isn't empowering the Pokémon, this is enslaving it before it is born!_

"_You seem to disagree. Pity; I hoped to work with you further on-"_

_Ardos barely had time to react. Colress had jammed his fist into the other man's throat, disabling him while he frantically jostled the controls. _

_If I could just deactivate the machine before it takes hold, I can—_

_Ardos had gotten back up. He tackled Colress to the ground, wrestled with the scientist there. Colress was a scientist, not a fighter; but he had the sense to grasp at one of his Poké Balls while Ardos throttled him._

"_Go, Beheeyem!" he managed to choke out before tossing the sphere. The Cerebral Pokémon emerged, looking just as much the brainy scientist as its master with its large conical head and floating humanoid body. The lights on its hands flashed in multiple colors as it lifted Ardos off of Colress psychically, hurling the Cipher boss to the side._

_The time for doubt has passed, Colress thought resolutely. A young life's future depends on my actions here. _

_Without hesitation, he pressed the emergency deactivation switch._

An explosion of light ripped across the young Pokémon's eyes, blinding him. Once sight returned to him, he looked around and saw his surroundings; he could not comprehend the strange objects in the circular room, but his instincts told him that it was bad news.

Two other objects were rolling around on the ground, trading blows that produced red ooze from the places hit. The child pondered this for a moment, then felt his fur stand up straight when one of them glanced at him. He was… a human, the child thought it was. His fur- or _hair_ as humans might call it- was styled in a strange way, with a blue ring circling his head.

With panicked eyes, the man shouted at the child, "Run!" The child was more than happy to oblige, too; he leapt towards an open window high up and crawled right out of it, narrowly avoiding the blast of fire issuing from another Pokémon.

The child didn't understand; why were the Pokémon trying to hurt him?

Not given much time to think, the child dashed away from the building, leaping into the trees and evading more of the Pokémon. They were big, black hounds with armored forehead: Houndours. The child focused its energy into a sphere of light and sent it into one of the Houndours, striking it on the nose.

It flew back, yowling in pain. The others still gave chase, so the child ran.

After weaving through bushes and jumping over puddles, the child came to a cliff. Not aware of the impending fall, the child ran clear off of it, falling into the darkness below…

The child awoke in a puddle of mud, alone and by a straight line of black stone with white marks in the middle. Gathering his strength, he staggered to his feet and stumbled out of the puddle only to trip and fall onto his face.

It had stopped raining before, but now the downpour started again. The child, beaten and afraid, curled up into a ball by the cliff side and let out a mournful howl over and over again.

Why did his first moments have to be so cruel? The child wondered. What had he done to make the world so uncaring? Was he a bad Pokémon?

He saw a duo of lights approach him on the stone line. It was going really fast, but then it suddenly stopped right by the cliff. The source of the lights was a large, green beast with round black feet and crystal-clear sides. He then knew that his brief life had ended.

The creature's side opened up and released a human. However, this human was different than the ones back at the building; he was small, bright-eyed, and full of concern.

The human boy approached the young Pokémon. "Dad, hurry!" the boy shouted to the creature.

Another human came around from the side, similar to the boy but bigger. "I hope you have a good reason for stopping us here, Max."

"I do!" Max replied frantically. "Look! This Pokémon is hurt!"

"Now, son, don't get too-" the father started to say, but Max had already gathered up the child in his arms. The child did not resist; he was too weak to fight. In fact, he found Max's warm arms inviting; here he was, a Pokémon just born into the world, and he was experiencing the kind of unconditional love that only family could give.

"C'mon, Dad, he's hurt; we need to take him to the Pokémon center!" Now that the child was closer, he could see that Max had wild-set brown hair and gleaming green eyes. His wet jacket brushed up against the child's fur, a sensation that immediately set him at ease.

"Well…" The man seemed confused for a moment. Then he nodded. "Alright, Max, just be careful; we don't know if he's wild or not."

"Okay, Dad!" Max held the child closer. "Don't worry, Riolu, we'll take good care of you…"

The Riolu smiled as he faded into sleep, happy that he had the chance to experience unconditional love…

**4 years later…**

Max Whitman was now 13 years old; he adopted the Riolu and had nicknamed him Lukas after his grandfather. Lukas, though he had a traumatic first hour of life, couldn't have been happier with his new best friend at his side. Ever since that stormy day off the highway to Aspertia City, the two had been inseparable. When Professor Juniper visited the Whitman household several days later, she saw the bond between Max and Lukas and saw the potential in the former for raising Pokémon.

Max leaned on the overlook railing, gazing at the high peaks surrounding Aspertia. Lukas was positioned on Max's shoulder, glancing every so often at the place of his birth. It was abandoned now that the police had cracked down on the place, and after Cody Greene, Zekrom's chosen hero, destroyed Team Plasma it had become even quieter.

A cough behind Max got his attention. Standing there with a Machop at his side was his best human friend Hugh. Hugh had been raising Pokémon far longer than Cody had been, having raised his Machop from an egg. His blue-black hair rustled in the wind, the Qwilfish style creating the effect of a bristling shrub.

"Hey there, Hugh. How are ya?" Max asked cordially.

"Fine. Yourself?"

"Pretty good."

There was a brief pause, then Hugh asked, "Did you get your license yet?"

"Got it this morning!" Max declared cheerfully. Lukas echoed his friend's joy.

"Great! So… that means you're a Trainer, right?"

"Yeah." It took another second for the light to dawn. "Wait, are you asking to battle?"

"Sure; Machop's needed a training partner for some time now."

Max nodded; he was ready for this. "Lukas, ready for your first day as a official battler?"

Lukas yipped in a way that said, "_I was born ready_".

"Alright, then. Let's _go!"_ And with that the battle commenced.

"Machop, use Karate Chop!" Hugh commanded fiercely. The Superpower Pokémon obeyed the command readily, chopping at Lukas with similar ferocity.

"Lukas, dodge, then use Blaze Kick!"

_Finally, the moment of truth,_ Lukas thought. He leapt to the right, dodging the Karate Chop, then ignited his left foot on fire and hooked it into the back of Machop's head. The impact was sound; Machop stumbled forward, then returned to his feet.

"Machop, Mega Punch!"

The punch was thrown, and Max's counter-command told Lukas to dodge and use Ice Punch. It took Machop a few seconds to pry the ice from his face.

"Ugh… Not going well. Machop, use Headbutt!"

Machop obliged despite the pain, launching his head at Lukas.

"Lukas, use Aura Sphere!"

Lukas had seen this before. No matter how many times Machop got whacked, he never learned. Lukas formed the sphere of light in his right palm then thrust it into Machop's oncoming forehead, blasting the hapless Pokémon ten feet back.

The young Riolu felt a creeping darkness around his eyes, but ignored it in the battle frenzy he was in. He pounced on the prone Machop, blasting him with Blaze Kicks and Ice Punches repeatedly. Finally, it took Max's call to bring Lukas back to his sense.

Machop had long fainted. He was covered in fire and ice burns alike, and even had the occasional spark of Aura.

"Whoa…" Hugh sighed in astonishment. Lukas thought he was going to be mad and shied away. He had nearly killed Machop, and he might very well have had Max not called out his name.

"Lukas… is a _battling machine!_" the older boy finally shouted, bringing a sigh of relief to Lukas. That didn't stop him from glancing at his paws while Machop was returned to his Poké Ball and the two Trainers chatted about Max's chances against the Gym Leader in town.

Lukas caught the faint glimmer of shadow on his palms before it sunk into his skin. What was he becoming? Or… had he been like this all along?

* * *

Hope you enjoyed it, folks. Let me know via reviews and/or PMs how I did with this one. I'll try to post more regularly, too.

Till next time, bye.


	2. Vs Stoutland

Pokémon Luce: Lukas's Story

Episode 2: Vs. Stoutland

* * *

The morning after Max's battle with Hugh was tense, for everyone was looking forward to the first Gym battle the small city ever had. The new Gym leader, a young man named Cheren, was taking over for the former Normal-type Gym Leader, Lenora, after she had retired months earlier. Technically, with Lukas at his side, Max had the type advantage, even if Cheren's Pokémon of choice was the mighty Stoutland.

Even with Max confidently walking down the sidewalk towards the Trainer's School, Lukas felt nervous perched on his shoulder. After his sudden episode of violence which had put Hugh's Machop into the Pokémon Center's ER, he didn't think that he could control the next one.

_Even if I win, what if I can't stop myself?_ The little Riolu thought to himself. _What if I hurt the Gym Leader or worse? What if I hurt Max?_

The thought of hurting his Trainer was too much for Lukas. But then he remembered that Max's voice had brought him back from the edge of madness. _If I go berserk again, I can count on him to save himself and me._

His worries lifted, Lukas bobbed his head with Max's pace and even started to look forward to his battle with Stoutland. He didn't know what a Stoutland looked like, but it couldn't be _that_ bad. Could it?

The Trainer's School, despite being the site of a Pokémon League-registered Gym, was a modest building in the middle of town. In front of its plaid front was a sign that simply announced, "Aspertia City Pokémon Trainer's School: Teaching the Next Generation, One Trainer at a Time."

Waiting at the door was Cheren. He was slightly older than Max and Hugh, maybe about fourteen; he wore a white business shirt with a red split tie and teal slacks; his black hair had a stubborn cowlick sticking up on the top of his head. Sitting obediently next to him was what could only be Stoutland.

Lukas immediately flashed back to the Houndour that attacked him the night of his birth and shuddered. Stoutland was canine, like Houndour, but had the appearance of a giant Shih Tzu, with long shaggy fur that draped over its body. Its eyes stared calmly at Lukas, assessing him as either a friend or a threat.

"So, you must be Max Whitman," Cheren said just as calmly.

"Yep, that's me! And this is my partner, Lukas," Max cheerily introduced themselves. "So, are we gonna battle or what?"

"Sure thing; follow me." Cheren walked into the School, with Stoutland following close behind.

"Okay, you ready, Lukas?" Max asked excitedly.

_Who cares? I'm gonna have to fight Dogzilla anyway,_ Lukas answered sarcastically, but yipped in agreement anyway.

"Alright! Let's get 'em!"

Not surprisingly, the Trainer's School was not the site of the arena; rather, it was situated in the backyard, with a Pokéball-shaped mark signifying the battle zone. Cheren walked to the northern end of the Pokéball, while Max stayed at the southern end. Lukas hopped off of his Trainer's shoulder, once again nervous of his prospects in battle.

Stoutland approached the arena slowly, clearly steeling itself for battle. Lukas in turn stepped forward and readied his Ice Punches.

The referee looked at both the trainers and their Pokémon, then waved the green flag, shouting for the match to start.

"Stoutland, use Take Down!" Cheren ordered. Stoutland responded by charging full tilt at Lukas.

"Lukas, dodge it!" Max commanded, but Lukas had other ideas. Focusing all of his power into a single Ice Punch, he caught Stoutland's head spot-on and encased it in ice.

"What the…? Lukas, why didn't you listen to me?!"

The Riolu offered a shrug in response.

"Okay… whatever. Just follow my commands from now on."

Nodding, Lukas launched a Blaze Kick and defrosted the stunned Big-Hearted Pokémon, then hooked it in the jaw, sending it flying to the side with a trail of smoke issuing from its chin.

Irritated, Stoutland got back up and followed Cheren's order to try and Crunch its opponent. Lukas deftly dodged the pooch's snapping maw and followed orders by flip-kicking Stoutland back, again with the advantage of fire.

Following further orders, Lukas leapt up further into the air and peppered Stoutland with Aura Spheres, leaving a marred patch of earth around an equally beaten opponent. Before Stoutland could get up, Lukas thrust down with a lightning-quick Bullet Punch and turned the ground around Stoutland into a crater, using the unlucky Pokémon as a nail to a hammer.

Seeing that Stoutland was still conscious, Lukas gripped its fur and launched it into the air, charging an Aura Sphere. However, instead of simply shooting it, he leapt up with another Bullet Punch and slammed the glowing ball of energy into Stoutland's side, creating a large explosion.

The referee was uncertain as to what happened, but as the smoke cleared he saw that Stoutland had been knocked out by the brute force of its opponent. "Stoutland is unable to battle! Lukas wins the match!" he announced, much to Max's joy.

Lukas patted Stoutland in a "Nice try" gesture and returned to Max's shoulder. He felt pretty good about himself at that moment; he hadn't even gone berserk like he did last time.

"Good job there. Could've sworn I have you," Cheren said. "Well, according to the League rules, I've got to give you this, so…" The young man handed Max a shiny new Basic Badge, which Lukas thought looked like the spine of those old-fashioned books Max's dad read.

"Thanks, sir." Max took the badge and stared at it with reverence. "My first Gym Badge…"

"Yep. Only seven more to go."

Max's expression went from reverence to shock. "What?! Oh, man…"

Lukas couldn't help but chuckle at his Trainer's oh-crap moment. _What, you thought it would be _that_ easy?_


	3. Vs Lillipup

Pokémon Luce: Lukas' Story

Episode 3: Vs. Lillipup

* * *

The alarm clock went off in Max's bedroom, waking Lukas from his nightmare. He was dreaming that he was being chased by the same Houndour from his past, which suddenly multiplied into a thousand angrily barking canines. His feet suddenly sank into the ground, preventing him from running; a Houndour caught up with him and was about to tear his head clean off when the alarm saved him.

Max yawned in his bed. "Morning, Lukas. Sleep well?"

_Ah, shut up,_ Lukas thought irritably. After hopping off the Pokémon bed Max had made him, Lukas trudged towards the stairs, with Max getting dressed behind him.

Honestly, he had no clue why humans bothered to put on clothes. It was like they were embarrassed of their natural state. He watched as Max put on his blue jeans and Pokéball belt, nearly nodded off as he put on his brown-and-white shirt, and closed his eyes as his Trainer slipped on his sneakers.

"Lukas."

The Riolu shook his head, rattling his brain of the desire to nap as was his morning routine. He looked up to see Max holding something out to him. Max now had his fedora on, a habit he had started a year ago.

But what was in his hands was what got Lukas' attention. It was a red cloth bandanna, just big enough to go around Lukas' neck. He had seen other Pokémon around the Whitman household wear similar bandannas, but never a red one.

"Mom made this brand new for you. She thought it would remind you of home when we're far away."

Tears welled up in Lukas' eyes. He had shared Max's Christmas gifts in the past (which wasn't too bad, since Max got some pretty neat gifts), but this was different; Max's mom was giving this bandanna _just to him._ It was his own personal possession, a wonderful gift crafted with the loving care of a mother, one which Lukas thought he never had.

Max helped him get the bandanna on then was surprised by Lukas jumping into his arms. Lukas felt Max hug him and heard him say, "I knew you'd like it."

_You have no idea,_ Lukas thought, forgetting his earlier rant on human clothes.

* * *

Max said his goodbyes to his family, who Lukas could tell were very proud of him. Before they left, Lukas gave Max's mom a hug and a lick on the cheek as thanks for the bandanna. Afterwards they stopped by the Gym to say farewell to Cheren.

As Max talked with the Aspertia Gym Leader, Lukas was greeted by Stoutland. That was some fine battling yesterday, Stoutland said to him in the universal language that Pokémon shared.

Thanks, Stoutland, Lukas replied. You weren't so bad either.

Well, at least I'm not losing my edge, the Big-Hearted Pokémon laughed. Take care, Lukas.

You, too. Lukas waved back at Cheren and Stoutland as he and Max left the Gym behind. Before they got to the gate, however, they were stopped by someone calling them.

It was Hugh's little sister, Clarissa. She was holding a small linen bag in her hand and running at them while waving the other. She stopped in front of them and started to catch her breath.

"Sorry! Hugh wanted to give this to you, but he had to do some chores. Here you go!" Clarissa handed Max the bag, which ended up containing five brand-new empty Pokéballs.

"Thanks, Clarissa. Tell Hugh thanks for me, too!" Max watched Clarissa go home, then said to Lukas, "Now we have Pokéballs; let's go catch some Pokémon."

Lukas cocked his head to the side. Why? he asked, though Max couldn't understand him by voice alone.

However, his body expression said it for him. "It's safer if we have more Pokémon on our team. And besides, you might make some new friends!"

He thought this over. _Safer for us… and new friends for me. Sounds good!_ He nodded his approval.

"Okay, then. Here we go!"

* * *

They were now on Route 19; many a new Trainer had made those first steps on their journey through that natural road through the mountains, but few had done so _after_ obtaining their first Badge. Max kept his Basic Badge in a case placed in his knapsack; his Pokéballs were still in their bag, but now he held one in his right hand, ready for whatever might jump out at them from the tall grass.

Lukas figured that he was being too dramatic; if a wild Pokémon were to attack, he would deck it and hold it down while Max threw his tool. Even though they sometimes didn't act like it, Lukas knew that from there on out he and Max had to work as a team. He couldn't disobey orders like he did during the Gym match anymore; he had to follow them to the letter.

Then again, it wouldn't hurt to go a step further with them.

Lukas heard a rustling in the grass. Perking up his ears, he listened as a small creature appeared from said grass. To his surprise, it looked like a small Stoutland; it was a dog-like Pokémon, though the fur was much shorter and more focused in a mane. Also, unlike the multi-colored Stoutland, this Pokémon was straight beige in its fur.

"Hey, look at that! A Lillipup!" Max exclaimed in a whisper. "That guy evolves into Stoutland, like the one Cheren has." He looked to Lukas, a boyish grin on his face. "Whaddaya say? Shall we catch it?"

Lukas had always been wary of dog Pokémon for previously stated reasons, but seeing the excitement in Max's eyes made him cast away his fears and nod in affirmation.

By now the Lillipup had noticed them and had started growling. Lukas readied himself in a combat stance and at Max's order charged the Puppy Pokémon, winding up an Ice Punch to freeze it.

However, the Lillipup dodged the attack and countered with an aerial Tackle, knocking Lukas back. Wiping away some puppy slobber, Lukas growled and charged again. This time he anticipated Lillipup's dodge and performed a flip-Blaze Kick, whacking it towards Max.

After recovering from the face-plant in the dirt, Lillipup charged again, mouth agape. Lukas knew that he was going to attempt a Bite attack and had a counter in mind.

_But Max has got to know about it,_ Lukas thought. He had learned a trick for communicating with Max, though it required a brief moment to pull off. He chose the right moment, then sent a short telepathic message to his Trainer announcing his intention.

_Good idea_ was Max's reply, and thus he gave the order. Smiling, Lukas then encased his fist in ice and thrust it into Lillipup's waiting jaws. The hard ice cracked under the pressure of the Bite, but it held. Better yet, it seemed to cause Lillipup some pain.

Now issuing yipping laughter, Lukas lifted Lillipup and slammed him onto the ground. The light weight of the puppy made him bounce up into the air, allowing Lukas a parting Aura Sphere.

He was half-surprised when the smoke cleared and saw that Lillipup was still conscious, but that was the idea after all. He watched contently as Max threw his Pokéball and captured it in a flash of light. It shook three times on the ground, and then it was all over.

"Alright!" Max shouted in joy. "We did it, Lukas! We caught our first Pokémon!"

Lukas couldn't help but feel Max's excitement. As a Riolu, he had learned to read both humans' and Pokémon's emotions via Aura, which gave him the ability to feel sympathy. _As long as Max is happy,_ he thought to himself, _I'm happy._

"Now, for a nickname…"

Now Lukas sighed. Did this habit absolutely _have_ to continue?

To be continued…


	4. Vs Chespin

Pokémon Luce: Lukas's Story

Episode 4: Vs. Chespin

**A message from the author:**

**Hey, folks; Xander here. Since the next generation of Pokémon is coming later this year, I've decided to add in some of the new Pokémon announced as celebration, so if you see some unfamiliar names, this is why.**

* * *

Route 19

Lukas couldn't have been more content; he could sense Max's good vibes through his Aura and knew that they were off to a good start. With Peppers the Lillipup resting in his Pokéball and the road clear ahead of them, things couldn't have been better.

Max, meanwhile, had his nose in the Town Map. "Hmm… The next town is Floccesy up ahead; we'll have to take the time to visit a Pokémon Center while we're there." He looked up at Lukas. "I heard that the former Champion lives there. Maybe he'll offer to train us!"

The Riolu barked a positive reply. The former Champion, Alder, was a powerful Pokémon Master by any standards; he was undefeated in the Pokémon League until a trainer from Nuvema Town defeated him and became the Champion in turn. According to rumors, however, this trainer had passed up the title and given it to someone else, leaving the region to chase rumors of the Team Plasma king off in other regions.

"Man, I can't wait! Now, which direction are we going…?" Max promptly dipped into the map again. Lukas kept a lookout for wild Pokémon, since Alder was not likely to train them with only two in the party no matter how strong one of them was.

Right about then, something caught his eye; something was rustling in the grass just up ahead. He patted Max on the head and got his attention, then pointed out to the disturbance.

"Good job, Lukas; let's hope it's not another Lillipup, eh? Better to be balanced and all." Max put the map away and crept up to the rustling grass, hoping to find a Purrloin or even a Pidove.

Instead, he found… Actually, neither he nor Lukas was quite sure what they had found. It looked like a sort of marmot, wearing what looked like a leaf hood. It stood on two legs, which had to be awkward with its long claws, but it moved just fine in a skipping manner while munching on an Oran Berry.

"What _is_ that?" Max whispered. He silently got out his field manual and flipped through the pages. "It's not in the manual," he said with a sigh. "You think it's a Pokémon?"

Lukas wasn't quite sure, but he knew how he could tell. Closing his eyes, he focused on reading the Aura of the strange creature. Matching his suspicions, the Aura of the creature was the same as that of any other Pokémon. So he nodded affirmatively.

"Okay… That means we can capture it, right? Okay, Lukas; go get 'em."

_Oh, yeah. Battle time._ Lukas hopped off of Max's shoulder and got the wild Pokémon's attention by issuing a low growl.

The marmot looked up, a look of curiosity on its face. "_Chespin?" _it said, which meant in Pokémon speak, Huh?

"Least we know what it's called now," Max muttered. "Alright, Lukas, use Aura Sphere!"

Lukas was happy to oblige, launching a blue ball of energy at the Chespin. Chespin, however, dodged with surprising speed and started to launch a Razor Leaf attack. It was a spray-and-pray tactic, for most of the leaves went off to the sides. However, one managed to nick Lukas in the eyebrow; but that didn't bother him.

Now knowing that Chespin was a Grass-type, Lukas froze his fists and set his feet ablaze. Fire and ice were both effective against the fragile Grass-type, thus Blaze Kick and Ice Punch were the weapons of choice.

"Good thinking, Lukas." Max commented. "Let it rip!"

It was as if there were springs in Lukas' feet; he leapt out at Chespin, swinging his fiery appendage at the marmot.

Chespin countered in a surprising way; it enveloped its hands in a sort of darkness and connected with the Blaze Kick, creating a shower of sparks and sending both of them vaulting away from each other.

"Night Slash?!" Max exclaimed as Lukas landed safely on the ground. "This is turning out to be some weird Pokémon."

Yeah, no kidding, Lukas muttered. Then, without waiting for Max's orders, he leapt back at Chespin, this time trying an Ice Punch.

Chespin, in response, threw more Razor Leaves at the charging Riolu. Instead of dodging, Lukas punched the leaves out of the way. By the time Lukas got to his foe, it was already prepping more Night Slashes.

The sparks that flew when each blow connected threatened to set the grass on fire. Ice clashed with darkness in a fierce and brutal dance, with neither side giving an inch. Finally, Lukas landed a punch on Chespin's face, freezing that part and plopping him on his back.

He then leapt back, knowing that Max would want something this powerful on his team.

"Pokéball, go!" Max shouted, throwing the spherical tool at the dazed Chespin. It only had seconds to notice before the Pokéball tapped it on the head and opened up, sucking it in and encapsulating it.

The ball shivered three times; after that, Chespin had been added to the team.

Max let out a relieved whoop. "That was great! I bet now we have a Pokémon that no one else has in the Unova region!"

Lukas smiled. He was right in that regard. But then a strange thought popped into his head. He was pretty sure Chespin, whom Max was nicknaming Chucky, wasn't native to Unova. If so, then how did they encounter one just now?

Images of Lukas' birthplace returned to the forefront of his mind. He remembered the numerous cages that lined the walls, each with a wailing Pokémon inside. Anything that wasn't a Growlithe or Houndour was included in those cages; most likely they would've had Lukas inside as well.

The next question on Lukas' mind was this: Was Chespin among those stolen by the nightmares of his past?

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed the appearance of Chespin, the new Grass starter in the recently-announced games **_**Pokémon X **_**and**_** Pokémon Y.**_** For those of you wondering where the other two are… Well, keep tabs on the story. They'll show up eventually.**


	5. Vs Sableye

Pokémon Luce: Lukas' Story

Episode 5: Vs. Sableye

**Okay, coming back after a **_**long**_** hiatus. Good news is, my manuscript for my novel is finished; I just need to find a publisher and editor now. I'll probably be published within this year, so look out for my novel **_**Lionheart**_**, Book 1 of **_**The Zulgeom Saga.**_

* * *

Floccesy Town

Not too many people thought much of the little towns in the southwestern corner of Unova, but at least one got quite a bit of attention: Floccesy Town. Not only was it home to the Floccesy Ranch (where several rare Pokémon dwelt), but it was also the hometown of the former Pokémon League Champion, Alder.

Lukas didn't know what to expect from the legendary Trainer. He envisioned a large, burly man with a stern demeanor, with Pokémon that would eat him for a midday snack.

In short, he wasn't looking forward to their meeting.

"Man, Lukas, isn't this exciting?" Max was saying. "We're actually going to meet the Champion! Isn't that the coolest?"

Yeah, cool, Lukas muttered.

After asking around, Max and Lukas found out the location of Alder's house. Lukas was surprised to see that it was actually quite welcoming on the outside.

His initial preconceptions on Alder's appearance were somewhat shattered when they met. Sure, he was a big guy, but he didn't seem nearly as intimidating as Lukas had figured. Alder's hugely spiky red hair went around all over the place, diminishing the impact of his Buddhist-style clothing and large Pokéball-colored rosary-bead.

On top of all that, he was _playing_ with a bunch of young Pokémon. To Lukas, Alder just seemed like a guy who wanted to enjoy being with Pokémon, no matter what his status.

"Doesn't look like a Champion to me…" Max muttered.

Lukas wanted to say how wrong Max was about that, tell him what he had figured out, but all he could do was thwack him upside the head.

"Ow! What was that for, Lukas?!"

You're being a moron, that's what for. Lukas hopped off Max's shoulder and walked calmly up to Alder and the playful Pokémon.

Alder took note and smiled. "Well, looks like we have another guest! How are you today, little one?"

Lukas responded with a happy grin.

"I guess he's doing great," Max answered for him. He walked up next to his friend. "Are you Alder, perchance?"

"That I am," Alder replied. "And who might you be, young man?"

"My name's Max Whitman; I'm from Aspertia City. And this is Lukas, my starter Pokémon and my best friend."

"Your best friend, huh?" Alder looked the two over for a moment. "Yes, I can see the bond between you two… You've known each other for a long time, huh?"

"Me and my dad found Lukas on the side of the road while coming back from here four years ago. He was a real mess; he had landed in a puddle and was all wet. It was raining, too."

Lukas listened to Max recount the story of their first meeting and thought about the half he was missing; the one with the lab, the two fighting scientists and the pack of Houndours chasing him through the night.

"Hmm… And you just picked him up off the side of the road?"

"Yes, sir."

Alder thought on it for another moment. Then he looked at Max, a glint of respect in his eyes. "You're a very kind young man, Max. Lukas is lucky to have you."

"Thank you, sir. He really is, isn't he?"

"Indeed."

"Master Alder!" another voice said from out of Lukas's sight. All turned to the second young man approaching them. His neck-length black hair was glossy and straight, probably from regular shampooing; his hair complemented his gray eyes perfectly. He wore a short-sleeve black T-shirt with a single silver badge on his right side; over that he wore a black leather vest that had a number of chains dangling from the pockets. If it weren't for the plain blue jeans and lack of makeup, Lukas would've figured that the stranger was a Goth guy.

Walking shiftily beside its trainer was a strange-looking Pokémon Lukas had never seen before; standing at roughly his height, it was almost completely purple, with blue eyes made from gemstones. In keeping with the gemstone eyes, there were also gems on the front and back of this Pokémon.

"Ah, Seth!" Alder said. "How're you and Sabeleye getting along?"

"Fine, sir," the stranger replied. "I think Sableye has Shadow Claw mastered; he just needs some work on his Fire Punch." He cast a glance at Max and Lukas. "Are they more students?"

"If they want to, then yes." Alder looked to Max for an answer.

"It would be an honor, Master Alder," Max said to that. Lukas let out an enthusiastic bark just for good measure.

"Good! Now, for starters let's see how you two battle. Meet me at the arena." Then he got up and walked towards the back of the house.

"He's having us battle so soon?" Max asked Seth.

"He tends to do that. Name?"

"Eh?"

"Your name. I can't just call you 'kid'."

"Oh! Max. Max Whitman."

"Seth Vaine. Pleasure." The two boys shook hands; Lukas noted the studded bracers that Seth wore as they did. He then got a little uneasy when Sableye shot a devious grin at him.

* * *

"Alright, we ready to get this show on the road?!" Alder asked the two trainers. They now stood at either side of the Pokéball-shaped arena, well out of the way of Lukas and Sableye.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Max replied. Seth said nothing.

"Alrighty, then! Count of three: One, two, three… Fight!"

Lukas wasted no time, setting his right foot on fire and rocketing towards Sableye. The Darkness Pokémon countered with a dodge and Shadow Claw towards Lukas' face. Lukas did the limbo to dodge and flip-kicked Sableye's large head.

"Lukas, now Ice Punch!"

Twisting in the air, Lukas threw an ice-encrusted punch at Sableye. To his surprise and Seth's command, Sableye launched a fiery fist at Lukas in turn. The two opposites connected in the middle, creating a huge shower of steam and sparks as they did.

Lukas tumbled back from the impact, his paw safe from burns. Sableye then extended his Shadow Claws and charged, leaving Lukas just barely enough time to counter with Shadow Claws of his own.

It then became a back-and-forth duel of shadows between the two combatants, with neither giving any ground to the other. Sableye managed to nick Lukas' eyebrow scar, inflicted by Chucky beforehand, while Lukas barely raked Sableye's face. Violet sparks flew with each claw connection; the force put into each blow required them to re-extend their claws due to breakage.

Finally, Lukas had had enough of the game. He charged all of his power into the next blow, severing Sableye's claw extensions cleanly and connecting an Ice Punch right into his chest.

This was the straw that broke the camel's back; Sableye flew backward towards Seth from the impact. He was knocked out before he hit the ground.

"Sableye is unable to battle, Lukas wins the match!" Alder announced excitedly.

"Good job, Sableye," Seth said calmly as he returned the unconscious Sableye to its Pokéball. "This isn't over yet, Max. I've still got two Pokémon left."

Max smiled. "What a coincidence! So do I!"

Lukas barked in excitement. He was happy that his darker nature hadn't stepped in this time. Maybe he was finally learning to control it!

Still, he figured it wouldn't be good to take all the victories himself. Peppers and Chucky needed some fun, too.

* * *

**Seth is right; this battle isn't over! This is the first in a three-part battle between Max Whitman and Seth Vaine. Most Trainer battles from now on are going to follow this format, by the way. I hope you enjoyed this and will enjoy the next two parts!**


	6. Vs Poochyena

Pokémon Luce: Lukas' Story

Episode 6: Vs. Poochyena

**Now, on with the continuation of the battle between Max and Seth. For those of you hoping to see Lukas kick some more butt… Well, that's too bad. Lukas is taking a break to allow Max's newly-caught Pokémon to enter the spotlight. First up is Peppers the Lillipup; enjoy!**

Floccesy Town

Lukas now squatted to Max's left side, watching as Peppers was let out of his Pokéball. The Puppy Pokémon seemed excited to be out of the small capsule and eager to sink his teeth into whatever Pokémon Seth sent out next.

His fear of dog Pokémon had somewhat subsided with the passing of time, but he still felt chills when Peppers growled. He had, however, looked in a mirror recently and realized that he was canine in form.

Dogs still bothered him, despite that revelation.

"Go, Poochyena!" Seth yelled, throwing a Pokéball into the air.

As Poochyena entered the scene, Lukas' chills grew stronger. It was another dog; this one looked more like a hyena with its shaggy grey fur and long fang-filled snout. This battle was going to be a literal dogfight.

_What's next, a marmot-fight?!_ Lukas thought wildly.

"Oh, this ought to be fun!" Max exclaimed, totally oblivious to the irony of it all. "Peppers, use Tackle!"

Peppers was only too happy to oblige, charging headlong at Poochyena. Lukas thought of it like a train wreck; he doesn't wanna look, but he just had to.

To Seth's calm command, Poochyena hopped to the side and dodged Peppers' charge, then responded with a Tackle of his own. Its head rammed into Peppers' side, knocking him away with little more than a whimper.

"Okay, now I'm mad," Max growled. "Peppers, use Dig!"

Obeying, Peppers did a back-flip into the air and promptly burrowed into the ground. He covered the hole as he did so that Poochyena would have no idea where he was.

_Smart move,_ Lukas thought. Having Peppers hide out underground would allow Max to think out his next move for when the Puppy Pokémon burrowed back up again.

Poochyena seemed confused at first, but then started sniffing in the dirt. "You can run," Seth was saying. "But you can't hide forever!"

"Wasn't intending on it."

And just like that, Peppers rematerialized behind Poochyena, a plume of dirt billowing out from his leaping form.

"Peppers, use Thunder Fang!"

This was the last move needed. Lukas knew from the stunned look on Poochyena's muzzle that it was over.

Peppers' fangs became wildly electric as he pinned Poochyena down on the ground and sunk said fangs into his foe's head. Poochyena's fur went in all directions as several hundred volts of electricity went through its body.

After a few seconds of this, Alder shouted, "Poochyena is unable to battle! Peppers wins the match!"

"Alright! That's two down now, Seth! What's your next one?"

Seth sighed as he returned Poochyena to its Pokéball. "Max, I've got to admit, you've got some talent as a Trainer. But I'll let you know right now, your win streak ends now!"

**And that's Part 2 of Max vs. Seth! Hope you enjoyed the (literally) electric match between Peppers and Poochyena! By the way, I'll be starting my own forum for questions that you may have about any of my work. I'll post the link up on my profile later.**

**Till next time, **_**ciao.**_


End file.
